Vermont Forest Indicators Dashboard

Carbon Storage

Score for 2018:
--/5
Long-Term Trend:
Scores are 
Through photosynthesis, trees convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugars and wood. Trees are unique in their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in long-living, perennial structures -- the roots, trunks, and branches. Storage of carbon is an ecological service that trees provide us by taking in and storing a potent greenhouse gas. While trees do release some CO2 through the natural processes of respiration and decay, mosts forests store much more carbon than is released. In fact, carbon is stored not only in live trees, but in soils, downed logs, and standing dead trees. Here we use Forest Inventory and Analysis Phase 2 plot data to assess the total, annual forest carbon storage, expressed in metric tonnes (equivalent to 1,000 Kg). The current year is scored as the distance between the minimum value and the target.
FEMC Archive Resources
Dataset: Carbon Storage and Net Growth of Vermonts Forests